The pardon was granted at the request of the country’s Judiciary Chief Hojatoleslam Seyed Ebrahim Raeisi on the occasion of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
All of the inmates subject to the decree have been in a list of inmates eligible for amnesty, compiled by a subcommittee of the Judiciary.
Article 110 of the Constitution grants the Leader the right to pardon or reduce the sentences of convicts upon a recommendation from the head of the Judiciary.
The clemency, however, does not apply to certain types of convicts, including those who have been sentenced for their role in the armed struggle against the country, armed or organized drug trafficking, armed robbery, arms smuggling, abduction, bribery, and embezzlement.